The Official Student Newspaper of Georgia College & State University
The Colonnade Friday, September 12, 2008
News People really do use that math stuff
- www.gcsunade.com - Volume 85, No. 3
Bands jam at Buff
Math colloquium showcases math in real life Page 2
Bands out of Athens play at Buffington’s restaurant on Thursday. Page 9
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Crowds come to see improv group The Armed Farces perform in the basement at Blackbird Page 9
Matthew Perez/ Staff Photographer Guitarist, Bryan Aiken of Lazerwulf, plays to a hyped and sold-out crowd at Buffington’s, one of Milledgeville’s favorite music spots on Friday Sept. 12, 2008. For the complete features story turn to Page 9.
Sports On a streak... The Bobcat soccer team grabs two straight wins. Page 12
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700 More students participated in summer classes in 2008 than 2007. See story page 4
As the past slowly dwindles in our memory, has the tragedy of September 11 been forgotten? Everyone knows what happened that fateful day seven years ago, but many are tired of remembering it. Should we be reminded every year, every month, and every day of our lives? Or is it just something we should learn to forget? Many people remember the day the planes crashed into the Pentagon; sophomore Meredith Carpenter recalls how she found out. “I was in my seventh grade English class, and a boy came back from his dentist appointment and said that the World Trade Center was bombed,” Carpenter said. “I didn’t even know what that was at the time. I remember every detail of my day, however. I stood behind a door and watched the news because my parents didn’t want me to see it.” Many others weren’t allowed to watch the television coverage of the events. Sophomore Lauren Van Wicklen, who saved all the newspaper articles
from the tragedy that day, remembers panic spreading throughout her school. “I was in my seventh grade algebra class, teachers weren’t allowed to tell us what happened, they canceled afternoon classes, and the word ‘terrorism’ flew quickly around the school,” Wicklen said.”It generated panic, everyone was crying. My elementary school brother, however, got to watch the bodies fall (from the buildings) at school.” Bodies did fall. According to the New York Magazine, the number of bodies found “intact:” 289. The number of body parts found: 19,858. In the 111 days left in 2001, after September 11th , Rudy Giuliani attended 200 funerals to honor the victims. Sophomore Jesse Laudino speaks out about his experiences the day of Sept. 11. “I was almost devastated because I have a lot of family in New Jersey, and I called my dad, and he could actually see it,” Laudino said. “I was afraid my family was around it
Remembering Page 3
GCSU newest Tuning in to Middle GA member of Civic Agency Initiative Kelsie Funk Staff Writer
Matthew Kuhl Staff Writer
Weekend Weather
Seven years later, 9/11 revisited Katelyn Hebert Staff Writer
Features Bands at the Buff showing their stuff
Making it they go
In Memoriam
cation, which has been defined as the education of a free people, is the perfect backdrop for this initiative.” Dr. Gregg Kaufman is responsible for bringing the Civic Agency Initiative to GCSU and is thrilled for the opportunity. “This will allow students to apply what they learn in class to help the community. It will let them see that they can make a difference in a real-world situation," Kaufman said. Although Kaufman says that so far the Civic Agency Initiative is only in its formative stages, he plans to involve students in the planning process at a later date. Kaufman says that the Civic Agency Initiative should formed more by spring. Kaufman already has plans for the direction of the Civic Agency Initiative. He has volunteer faculty from several departments, including Government & Sociology, Marketing, Rhetoric, English, Speech and Journalism, Early Childhood & Middle Grades Education and Economics. “We are open to any
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities has selected GCSU as a participant in its Civic Agency Initiative, a project to build connections between the college and the community. The Civic Agency Initiative is a recently developed concept created by Dr. Harry C. Boyte of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Democracy and Citizenship, in partnership with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. It aims to give college students the tools to work with local communities and to encourage students to use those tools and their education for the good of those communities. Dr. Robert Haney, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs, supports the agency. “The Civic Agency Initiative seeks to create the next generation of informed, engaged citizens. I hope that students will see that they have the ability to leave higher education with the skills they need to become leaders in their communities,” Haney said. “Liberal arts edu- Civic Initiative Page 3
A new radio station will hit the airwaves of Middle Georgia within the next year courtesy of GCSU and 5,000 watts of power. “I am very excited about the new station and our ability to service a good part of the state with the stronger signal,” said Bryan Jackson, director of University
Communications and frontrunner in establishing the station. With 5,000 watts, the school hopes to further involve the community and alumni with GCSU and its events. The new non-commercial station will reach surrounding cities such as Macon, Eatonton, Oconee, Greensboro, Gray and Warner Robins. The new station will
broadcast completely separate from WGUR 88.9 FM, GCSU’s current student-led radio station. The 5,000 watt show airing on 88.3 FM will cover GCSU events, live concerts, Bobcat sports, local news, and talks by resident history buff Dr. Robert “Bob” Wilson. GCSU also hopes to team up with Georgia
New FM Page 3
Photo Courtesy of www.gcsu.edu Bell Hall (pictured above) is one of the residence halls on main campus. University Housing is at full capacity this year thanks to growing population and convenience of location.
Housing on the rise Tim Graham Staff Writer
College is expensive. With the exception of some scholarships for athletes and students, many students struggle with taking out thousands in loans each year, all while struggling to find a job in a small college town.
And now, with a floundering economy and the standard costs of living increasing, it has become even more important to track every cent. Many GCSU students have noticed the dramatic increase in tuition and oncampus housing at GCSU this year. The most significant increase is the nearly
$700 raise per semester at The Village apartments. These rate hikes force students to look elsewhere for places to stay. Some return to campus, others move to apartment complexes promoting cheaper rates, and still others may switch to schools closer to
Housing
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2 The Colonnade
News September 12, 2008
Math series equates to movies Heather Raines Staff Writer
GCSU Idol Auditions Hands on Milledgeville, NAACP, and SGA are proud to bring you the fifth Annual GCSU Idol. Auditions will be held in A&S auditorium from Sept. 16-18 from 5-9 p.m. This is not just a talent show; the contestants showcase remarkable talent. This year’s competition is open to students, faculty, and staff. The contestants will not only be critiqued by the judges, but by the audience too. Each contestant will go through a series of auditions, and only the best will be showcased in the 5th Annual GCSU Idol Competition. GCSU Idol will be held in Russell Auditorium on Feb. 6, 2009 at 7 p.m. This will be the event of the year, come showcase your talent because the next GCSU Idol might be you! Constitution Week celebrated at Times Talk Lambda Pi Eta and the American Democracy Project will sponsor Times Talk, “What the First Amendment Means to Me”, on Sept. 17, 2008 at 12:30 p.m. in Chappell Hall Room 113. “What the First Amendment Means to Me” will be highlighted by speaker Don Schanche. Schanche is the day supervisor of the Associated Press’ Atlanta Bureau. The Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787, and is the foundation of all law and government in the United States. A perfect way to commemorate this anniversary is to have the opportunity to talk about the First Amendment. With the Presidential Election nearing, the Constitution and what America has stood for over the past 221 years is of particular interest to citizens around the country as well as to registered student voters. “The Times Talk will be a perfect way to honor Constitution Day”, said Jodie Aldridge, Lambda Pi Eta President. “We really hope that students and faculty will be willing to participate and realize that we all have a voice to be heard here on campus. Executive members of Lambda Pi Eta will be hosting and monitoring the event and encourage audience members to participate in the discussion. All faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to attend and welcome to invite guests For submissions email us at www.gcsunade.com
The Mathematics Department at GCSU launched the first of a monthly Math Colloquium series this week by highlighting math that is actually seen in current movies and television shows. The series is intended for anyone interested in math, not just math majors. The talks are designed for a broad audience and presented in a way that everyone can understand. Dr. Hugh Sanders, professor of applied mathematics, began the series with the lecture on mathematics in the media. The lecture began with a trailer from the release of the movie “21,”which was released in March. In “21,” six students at M.I.T. use their superior math skills to win millions of dollars gambling in Las Vegas. The movie is based on a true story and math is the main theme throughout the film. Next, Sanders showed clips from a few other popular movies with some unintentional math errors. One clip was from the 1939 classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” Many viewers may not notice, but the scarecrow actually exclaims a distorted version of the Pythagorean theorem after he receives his brain from Oz. Sanders then presented other clips from well-known movies and television shows such as “The Swimmer,” “Cast Away,” “Star Trek” and episodes from “The Simpsons” and the CBS series “Numb3rs.” All of the clips were linked by one common thread. They all have scenes that are strongly related to mathematics in the real world. Some clips showed funny accidental math errors, while others demonstrated serious expressions of math. “I was interested in finding these for a class I taught, but as a hobby as well,” Sanders said. “I came across all the clips from many different sources. Many were given to me by friends such as Dr. John Hornsbey who taught a class called ‘Math Class goes to Hollywood’ and Dr. Oliver Knill, a
Sean Noah/ Staff Photographer Students learn of real life math application in literature and film during the first of the Math Colloquium series for this school year.
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Math Colloquium Series
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When: Every first Wednesday of the month Where: A&S 272 12:30- 1:30 p.m.
professor at Harvard, who has a Web site called ‘Mathematics in Movies.’ Some clips I found in movies I rented, and my wife even found several for me.” Dr. Ryan Brown, assistant professor of mathematics and coordinator for the event, encouraged more students to come to the colloquium. “This is not intended for solely math majors, but really anyone who is interested in what mathematicians actually do,” Brown said. The first meeting had many students and faculty in attendance, including senior math major Joey Shackelford.
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“I wanted to go to the colloquium because I felt like it was good exposure to learn about math in the media,” Shackelford said. “Afterwards, I was definitely glad that I went. Dr. Sanders was very well organized, and I found the entire presentation very enlightening. It made me want to learn more.” The Math Colloquium will continue to meet throughout the semester every first Wednesday of the month from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in A&S 272 to discuss various topics in the field of mathematics. Each week a new speaker will share a different aspect of math.
September 12, 2008 Remembering 9/11 Continued from Page 2... or involved; it made me scared.” Last year, the GCSU College Republicans decorated front campus with one flag for every person that died during the attacks. Most students think these events should be remembered like this, especially senior Erin Beall. “It should be remembered every day, taught in schools, students should be shown the clips and
videos, not just pushed under the rug,” Beall said. “Everyone should be reminded of it, I think people get upset over the war but we have to remember, they invaded our country; it was a huge tragedy,” Carpenter said. A country song was written shortly after Sept. 11 entitled “Have You Forgotten” by Darryl Worley. “Have you forgotten how it felt that day, to see your homeland under fire, and her people blown away?” Worley wrote. “Have you forgotten when those towers
News
fell? We had neighbors still inside, going through a living hell.” This song is played on the radio every Sept. 11 by many stations to let everyone remember the day 2,819 people died. According to the New York Magazine, the towers stood and burned for 56 minutes and 102 minutes, but they fell in just 12 seconds. Freshman Rebecca Payne agrees the date should be remembered. “Innocent lives were lost and that brought the nation closer together,” Payne said. “We should never forget that.”
Looking and pondering...
Housing Continued from Page 1... home. “The lower price is much kinder to your bank account,” said sophomore Nikki Wheeler. Wheeler stayed at The Village the first semester of her freshman year but moved back onto main campus second semester. “The dorms are cheaper, more accessible via walking, and cheaper,” she said. Brandon Landreau, another student who moved back to main campus, is a bit more irked. “Three of my other friends moved back from the apartments [because of rate increases],” said Landreau. “(Living in a residence hall) limits who I’m able to see, because I have a lot of friends at The Village. I either have to bike or ride the shuttle for 15 minutes over there. It restrains me from cooking. I really enjoyed it over there.” Costs at every school in the University System of Georgia have steadily increased since at least 2005, with the highest coming from GCSU. Larry C. Christenson, executive director of University Housing, explains where the additional money is going. “The cost of running our halls has
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increased. Utility costs have risen for the University just as they have for individual consumers. We do everything we can to reduce costs and conserve, but that only gets us half way,” said Christenson. “Rate increases are inevitable. To rebuild and refurbish our facilities, we had to take out more than $100 million in bonds. The interest rate on these bonds increases 3 percent annually. That means we need to increase rates annually by at least the same amount just to pay our debt.” These numbers eventually add up to a lot of money. Like other apartment and housing complexes around Milledgeville, University Housing raises its rates to make improvements. “Student rates allow us to maintain our facilities and make improvements such as replacing worn out mattresses, painting rooms, replacing furniture, increasing wireless Internet speed and adding features such as Residence Life Cinema,” said Christenson. “It becomes very costly to provide housing for our students, but it is important to do. Students are here to gain a college education and they can’t do that when their home doesn’t meet their needs.” Every rate change is finalized by Georgia’s Board of Regents, which oversees the University System of Georgia. Many housing Web sites clearly state that finalization comes from the BOR.
Sample Housing Rates, 2005/Current
Sophie Singer/ Staff Photographer Mark Sullivan ponders the paintings of Frances De La Rosa at Blackbridge Hall Art Gallery as the GCSU Art Department hosts the first gallery of the fall season.
New FM Continued from Page 1... Public Broadcasting (GPB) and National Public Radio (NPR) and may air some of their programming as well as a variety of jazz music. With WGUR only running at 37 watts, the new 5,000 watt station blows open the doors of opportunity for students and the community. The stronger signal will also benefit students working with the station as volunteers or for a mass communication telecommunication practicum. The station will offer paid positions for experienced students. At least 65,000 people are in the primary coverage range and many more will have access to the station. Student disc jockeys will obtain valuable experience for future employment. “I am hoping that the 5,000 watt station will be yet another rung on the ladder for the students at GCSU,” said Angela Cris-
coe, an instructor in Mass Communication and the faculty adviser for WGUR 88.9 FM. Criscoe said gaining support from the faculty and staff will also be a high priority. She says if they are on board, the station will be successful in uniting the school with the community. “I am really excited about the new station, and I see potential for great things and new ways to reach the community and the students,” says Randi Noble, a senior mass communication student and former WGUR DJ. GCSU will continue to run WGUR as completely student-led, serving as a training ground for students beginning in radio according to Jackson. The FCC opened an opportunity for a noncommercial station for the first time in 10 years last October and chose GCSU over one other contender because the new station at GCSU would reach many more people than WGUR currently reaches. The FCC will issue the
Civic Initiative Continued from Page 2...
major Cody Fox thinks students should be more involved in the community. “I think that involving students in their classes would give them a lot more incentive," Fox said. Kaufman plans to kick off the Civic Agency Initiative on Sept. 15, when Dr. Boyte, the creator of the Civic Agency Initiative, comes to GCSU to speak to students and faculty for Constitution Week. Kaufman also plans to host a candidate forum for Baldwin County Commission and School Board candidates. He plans to involve GCSU students and members of the Milledgeville community. “We’re going to have a team of mass communication students promoting the forum, writing the press releases, etc. Then we’ll have students in the Political
school a construction permit this month and then the school will have three years to get the station up and running. Jackson projects a much shorter time than that. “We already had a tower on West Campus so it gives us a head start in the process,” Jackson said. “Hopefully the station can be running within the next year.” The university is hoping GPB will donate a transmitter and other equipment, reducing the school’s costs. The biggest and most expensive item needed is a directional antennae vital in keeping with FCC sanctions. Jackson says he is looking into a federal telecommunications grant that has helped build new public radio stations in the past. The grant could cover 75 percent of costs. The radio station is still in its infancy, but Criscoe and Jackson are working together to see what dreams they can make a reality with GCSU’s new FM station.
Science 1150 classes writing questions for the candidates, and we’ll assemble them," Kaufman said. "We’re partnering with the Milledgeville Chamber of Commerce, 100 Black Men of Milledgeville, and other community groups for this forum.” Kaufman also hopes that later in the fall, GCSU will host similar forums for U.S. House of Representatives District 12 candidates John Barrow and John Stone, and U.S. Senate candidates Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin, though these events have not been officially announced. Kaufman also said that GCSU would play host to Government Career Panels on Nov. 17-18. Representatives of different parts and levels of government, from the federal government all the way down to local government will speak to GCSU students and lead panel discussions about the need for public service and the many ways in which students can help fill that need.
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GCSU – Residence Hall, semi-private $1,553.00/$2,729 Georgia Tech – Traditional 4-Person $1,898.00/$2,188.00 University of Georgia - Double Room $1,991.00/$2,080.00 Georgia Southern University – Kennedy Hall, 2 BR $1,720.00/$2,020.00 Valdosta State University – Double Room $1,344.00/$1,670.00 Columbus State University – Double $1,500.00/$1,900.00 Savannah State University – Double $1,068.00/$1,300.00 Albany State University – Double (East, North, South) $980.00/$1292.00
Information Courtesy of the web
4 The Colonnade
News
September 12, 2008
Shrinking the globe Chelsea Thomas Staff Reporter
The world has shrunk. Perhaps not from the physical aspect, but socially the division between our cultures has dwindled immensely. For students more opportunities abound than ever before to experience a new, more connected world. On college campuses and in the world of business more people are stepping foot into unknown territory. The International Education Center at GCSU has been offering students a passage into a world of cultural experiences for years. Many students attend a semester or year-long study program in countries such as France, Germany, Japan, Australia, and Spain. However, the most common study abroad expeditions usually take place beneath the hot summer sun. Tyler Bennett, senior criminal justice major, says his study abroad experience opened his eyes. “Going to Italy this summer really made me realize just how sheltered I was. I had never really experienced a culture outside of my own, and I learned that the world is really different outside of the United States,” said Bennett. “The biggest thing that I took away from my trip to Italy was probably the historical aspect. I got to see places where many prominent historical figures once walked.” Many students who return from studying abroad have a new perspective on the world and themselves. Junior mass communication major Andrea Lowery divulges how her trip to Paris this summer changed her worldview. “Study abroad opened my eyes to how much my life is influenced by my culture. Being a Christian, that was a really big deal for me,” explains Lowery. “I realized that some of my beliefs were mixed with my culture rather
than straight from the Bible. In experiencing another culture I was able to separate my culture beliefs from what the Bible says.” Study abroad can also benefit students academically and prepare them for success after college. An article recently published in The Philadelphia Inquirer called “More U.S. workers getting global assignments”, found businesses are looking for more internationally conscious workers. Many companies are hiring younger employees with global experience and comfort. Furthermore, according to Orc Worldwide’s 2006 survey, “companies have doubled the amount of employees they are sending abroad.” One example of this is the accounting firm KPMG L.L.P. Of its 120,000 international personnel, this company currently has 2,500 spread out across the globe working on foreign investments. What does this mean to GCSU students? The study abroad program is becoming increasingly useful after graduation by providing employers with proof of the applicant’s international experience. Liz Havey, Study Abroad Advisor at the International Education Center, says studying abroad is crucial in our current society. “It helps develop cross-cultural communication skills, global awareness of how countries interact together and how their decisions impact the rest of the world,” said Havey. “Furthermore, it enhances self confidence and gives students a tangible experience to talk to employers about.” Now is the time for GCSU students interested in studying abroad next summer to begin asking questions. Every Monday at 4 p.m. and Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. Havey offers Study Abroad information sessions offered
in the International Education Center’s Resource Room at 223 Lanier Hall. The sessions cover programs offered, scholarships available, and deadlines that must be met. Overall, the experience by students through the study abroad programs, is influential in their personal motivations and later success. Many students who have returned from their trips are more self assured. Stephanie Boylston, graduate student in special education, studied in Spain for a year. “I learned that it is so important for people to submerse themselves in other cultures and appreciate areas and ideas that others have,” Boylston said. “I have a better appreciation of other cultures and ways of life after studying abroad. I would go again in a heartbeat.” Lowery seems to express the general consensus. “The only thing I would change about my study abroad experience would be to make it longer.”
Photo Courtesy of www.flags.net
Summer classes popular Skylar DeRight Staff Writer
Even after slaving away in classes throughout the traditional fall and spring semesters many GCSU students chose to spend their summer months in school. In fact, GCSU records show almost 40 percent more students took classes in summer 2008 than in 2007. Why are more students willing to trade beach time for study time? Two reasons- to keep their heads above water and stay afloat. “Many students see the summer semester as an opportunity to get ahead and stay ahead,” A. Kay Anderson, GCSU’s registrar, said. The GCSU summer registration report showed 3,087 students enrolled this summer between Milledgeville, Macon Center, and the Warner Robins Campus. Together, these students are using summer vacation to accumulate a combined 18,746 hours. This past summer’s suntanned bookworms accumulated over 6,000 more hours than the bookworms of summer 2007.
Even though not every course met on the Milledgeville campus, the 751 Milledgeville summer courses offered many opportunities for students to get ahead and stay ahead. Macon Center Each summer the courses are divided into four sessions: Maymester, Summer I, Summer II, and the Warner Robins Campus Study Abroad Program. “Summer school gives many students the opportunity to study abroad or participate in internships that they might not be able to take part in during the regular school year,” Anderson said. This past summer, over 700 more students passed up the beach in order to study in Milledgeville than in summer of 2007. GCSU enjoyed the rise in summer enrollment. “The university benefits [from summer classes] because students benefit,” Anderson said. “Summer school supports students and student learning. That’s the reason for everything we do.” Leslie Farman, a junior business major, took her first summer class in 2007. She was able to complete her science requirements after taking astronomy in Maymester. “Taking a science course allowed me to get four credit hours because of my lab,” Farman said. “Summer classes are helping me to graduate on time.” Last summer’s experience encouraged Farman to take two courses over the summer. She took world literature in Maymester and
Headcount 2007 2008
2007
Hours
2071
2800
108
197
617
1237
90
519
489
90
11522
2008 17020
Information by GCSU Office of the Registrar
business statistics during Summer II. “My parents made me take classes last summer, but this year (I was) excited to stay in school,” Farman said. “I do a lot better in the summer.” To help students succeed, the GCSU learning center remained open throughout the summer. Lori Robinson, The Learning Center coordinator, received the most requests for math tutors. Because summer classes move quickly, Robinson encouraged students to come to The Learning Center early in their summer session. “If they utilize all resources they can definitely succeed over the summer,” Robinson said. Math professor Blair Dietrich encouraged his students to take advantage of The Learning Center and peer tutoring. “ Concepts aren’t harder,” Dietrich said. “There is just a shorter turn around time between new concepts and being tested.” Dietrich enjoys teaching summer classes because his students are more focused. His summer students seem to make better grades than his fall and spring students. “I have fewer people fail because they know what’s expected,” Dietrich said. After dropping math modeling in the fall, freshman Laura McEachern knew she would be more successful in the summer. “Math is one of my weaker subjects,” said McEachern. “By taking math modeling over the summer, I can give all my time to this one particular class.” Along with 3,087 other students, McEachern is part of the rising trend of students using summer to get ahead academically in Milledgeville. “I know my May and June classes let me take lighter loads in the fall and spring,” McEachern said. “I have no doubt I will continue to take courses during future summers.”
Septmber 12, 2008
News
Party conventions gather bipartisan students to discuss Rachel Foss Staff Reporter
Even before the candidates on both the Republican and Democratic side were decided, it was a frantic primary season. Now, Nov. 4 is just around the corner, and no matter which side gets elected, it’s a history-making race. There is the first African-American candidate, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, and the first female vice presidential nominee, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. Young Democrats and College Republicans alike, as well as some undecided students, came together to watch the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in the lower level of the GCSU library on Sept. 4. Dr. Gregg Kaufman, professor in the Department of Government and Sociology, arranged the viewing. It was the first time the library was used to broadcast the conventions. “I was very pleased with the turnout; I’m sure once the candidates begin the debates, there will be more people coming to watch,” Kaufman said. “The conventions are an important part of the political process, and its importance has changed over the years and served different purposes. It is my hope that students get a better idea of the political process.” Dr. Kaufman also hopes that the viewings will help increase voting among young people.
Students of all political views came to watch the convention. Noah DeWalt, a senior and president of the local chapter of Students for Barack Obama attended the airing. “I wanted to see the other side of the race for president. I’m also interested in what John McCain stands for and what he had to say at the convention, and also why someone should vote for them,” DeWalt said. First year graduate student and Republican Daniel Simpson attended to share the event with other students and engage in debates. Not all students, however, were polarized to one party. “[I attended] to compare it to the Democratic Convention from last Thursday, and to see which candidate addresses the issues,” junior Beth Gaylor said. “I’m still trying to make up my mind about which candidate I’m voting for, so I wanted to know what they stood for.” The election season is coming soon, and GCSU students are already getting ready to vote for the next president. Students are getting an idea of what kind of issues the candidates stand for. Come Nov. 4, all of America will decide who will fill the Commander-in-Chief’s seat in January 2009. It is the youth of America who will help decide. What did you think of the Democratic and Republican Conventions? What are you anticipating in the upcoming Presidential Debates? What issues would you like to hear about the most? Voice it off at www.gcsunade.com and let your opinion stand.
How personal is too personal Tyler Bryant Staff Writer
Students are still abuzz about the lady of the hour on the Republican ticket, Gov. Sarah Palin and the recent news of her daughter‘s pregnancy. In a statement released hours before the Republican National Convention opened, Palin and her husband, Todd, did not say when their daughter Bristol, 17, told them of her pregnancy. Bristol, who is five months into her pregnancy, intends to marry the father and raise the child. The subject of personal lives of family members has, in recent years, been a question of right or wrong. In recent years, family members' personal lives have taken a front seat position, which in previous elections were kept fairly classified. A current situation involves Vice President Dick Cheney’s daughter who is openly gay. The media quickly pointed out the alleged hypocrisy of his views in contrast with his own daughter’s lifestyle. GCSU students are closely following the presidential
election. Now, with the recent gossip swirling around the John McCain Presidential campaign, interest has heightened significantly. When asked about whether the issue of Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy should be an issue, students at GCSU had strong opinions. Jason White, a senior, who serves as the College Republicans chairman, believes family members’ personal lives are off-limits. “Let's look at Sarah Palin's record and judge her on that, not on choices that her family makes," White said. Marlee McCampbell, a sophomore disagrees. “In a way I know it shouldn't matter, but I also think it's just another example of Neo-Con hypocrisy,” McCampbell said. “No, it shouldn't be an issue, sort of. It's pretty juicy, though.” While the choice to nominate Palin as McCain’s running mate has conservatives enthusiastic, not all the members are breaking out champagne. Mary Ford, a senior information studies major said. She hopes a Republican wins, but she’s not sold on Palin. “I really liked her in the beginning. But the more I
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Ryan DelCampo/ Staff Photographer The Republican Convention was covering the speeches leading up to John McCain’s acceptance speech. Some students gathered at the Books & Brew to watch it together
learn about her, the less I like. She's overly conservative and underqualified in my opinion.” Ford said. However, Ford agrees family members are not fair game in elections. “(They) should be kept out of debates and the media," Ford said. Junior Joel Graham is happy with the choice to add Palin to the Republican ticket, hoping it may attract some feminist voters. “Many pundits have also said that she represents the realization of many of the goals of the feminist movement: success, independence and influence in society for women,” Graham said. “This could bring many women to the party who ordinarily wouldn't think of voting Republican.” McCampbell believes the choice of Palin is a desperate move. “I think that McCain's choice of VP is obviously a desperate attempt to grab some of the women voters,” McCampbell said. “But maybe this will encourage more people to get out and vote for Obama.” Democratic Presidential nominee, Senator Barack Obama echoed the words of fellow GCSU students. In a statement to the press in Michigan, Obama, whose own mother was 18 when he was born, agreed family members should be off-limits in campaigns.
Opinion
The Colonnade’s Forum for Public Debate
Friday, September 12, 2008
www.gcsunade.com
Editor in Chief, Corey Dickstein
The Hard Press by James
Odom
Constitution Week: celebrate your rights
Next week marks an important week in the United States of America: Constitution Week. As a newspaper, and more specifically as a student newspaper, the constitution is very important to us at The Colonnade. Not only does the constitution guarantee every American the freedom of speech, among a multitude of other rights, it guarantees us, the press, the freedom to print the news without government censorship. The media has often been referred to as the fourth estate, an independent form of checks and balances that has the ability to keep an eye on the government and report to the public information about their representatives. Unfortunately, in today’s world the press has sometimes found itself limited in its ability to report the news. In February 2007, a freelance news photographer was arrested in Miami, Fla. after taking pictures of police officers in public – a blatant constitutional violation and abuse of power by the officers. In another incident, during the Republican Party National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., police arrested four journalists who were attempting to photograph an altercation that involved police officers and protesters after an anti-war march. At the conclusion of the march, a group describing themselves as anarchists erupted into a violent protest. One of the journalists was an AP photographer. The other three were representatives of the University of Kentucky’s student newspaper, The Kentucky Kernel. Two were journalism students and the third was their photography adviser. All four were simply trying to do their job and capture photos of the event. Of course, we are lucky that in America these incidents are not the norm. In many countries, the government controls the media. For example, in China they do not have freedom of the press. Instead, the country owns a monopoly on their media. China even restricts foreign media correspondent’s access to information. We take our rights very seriously in America. We should all take advantage of our freedoms, after all it is these freedoms that make us Americans. They are the foundation in which the greatest nation in the world has been built upon. Our forefathers wrote the U.S. Constitution to protect the rights of American citizens 221 years ago. Today, the media strives to do its part to protect those rights, but when they are interfered with the public cannot be informed in the way that it needs and expects to be. Now is not the time for the government, or any other entity, to limit our rights. The Colonnade believes in the constitution and believes that it is our duty to inform you of what is going on in our campus community without “Big Brother” limiting our ability to do so as the constitution allows us. Please join us and take part in Constitution Week, which officially runs Sept. 17 to 23. This is our week to remind ourselves of the importance of our constitutional rights and remember that it is up to us as citizens to uphold and protect the rights our forefathers granted us.
Editorial Board
Corey Dickstein Editor in Chief colonnade@ gcsu.edu
Ana Maria Lugo News Editor colonnadenews@ gcsu.edu Ashlee Mooneyhan Features Editor colonnadefeatures@ gcsu.edu Preston Sellers Sports Editor colonnadesports@ gcsu.edu Erin Gish Photo Editor
Amanda Boddy Asst. News Editor
P.J. Schinella Asst. Features Editor Kyle Collins Asst. Sports Editor Chelsea Thomas Spotlight Editor Bobby Gentry Asst. Photo Editor Kim Brumfield Copy Editor Claire Kersey Asst. Copy Editor Lee Sandow Webmaster
Christa Murphy Ad Manager colonnadeads@ gcsu.edu
Tyler Anderson Business Manager
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Macon McGinley Faculty Adviser
VP candidate Palin unveiled
by
Andrew Adams Columnist
Two weeks ago, John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his Republican Presidential running mate. Since that time, I think Americans have learned more about her and her family than we know about the families of our good friends. The simple fact is, Sarah Palin is such a big news story I can’t simply write just one article about her. With all of the “scandals” and criticisms coming out in the news, I feel as if I need to spend some time dispelling these denigrating rumors. Sarah Palin was on the cover of US Weekly this past week. The title, in very large print, is “Babies, Lies and Scandal.” Surrounding this title are the phrases, “Under Attack, Admits Daughter, 17, is pregnant.” “Investigated for firing of Sister’s ex-husband.” and “Mom of Five: New embarrassing surprises.” I get the feeling that US Weekly will not be campaigning for McCain and Palin this fall. Let’s start from the
through and deal with issues that are common in the modern American family. The biggest “scandal” facing Palin is an ethics investigation in Alaska regarding the firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan. It is believed that he was fired for refusing to fire the ex-husband of Palin’s sister, a police officer named Michael Wooten. However, according to CBS News, Monegan stated that no one ever asked him to fire Wooten. Recognizing the ethical issues that Monegan’s firing brings up, Palin called for an investigation into this by Alaska’s Personnel Board to clear her name. Typically, when people ask the government to investigate themselves they don’t have anything to hide. For now, liberals will run with this so called “scandal”, but I suspect in the future her name will be completely cleared. Democrats most popular criticism of Sarah Palin is that she lacks experience. The truth is that Palin actually has more executive experience than John McCain, Barack Obama and Joe Biden combined. While her executive experience is short, she’s the only person on either ticket that has ever worked in an executive capacity. Shortly after Palin was chosen as McCain’s running mate, Obama tried to showcase that he has more executive experi-
ence than Palin. “My understanding is that Gov. Palin’s town, Wasilla, has I think 50 employees. We’ve got 2,500 in this campaign. I think their budget is maybe $12 million a year – we have a budget of about three times that just for the month,” Obama said. Libertarian radio talk show host Neal Boortz looked into the matter and found that while Palin was governor of Alaska she managed a $9 billion budget with $13 billion in revenue, and 25,000 employees. If Palin’s executive experience is weak, then Barack Obama’s must be nonexistent. A recent Rasmussen poll found that 51 percent of Americans believe the media is trying to hurt Palin, while only 5 percent believe the media is trying to help her. There are many other unfair attacks that I’ve heard in the blogosphere and on liberal sites like Daily Kos. For instance, some say Palin shouldn’t be running for VicePresident because she should be at home raising her children. This is a ridiculous argument that moves the women’s rights movement back about 40 years. Unfortunately, these attacks by leftists aimed at helping the Obama campaign are unfairly disparaging a woman and her family who have done nothing to deserve it.
Poll of the Week Graphic by Corey Dickstein
What do you think about the proposed smoking ban on campus? I love it 60%
Corrections The Colonnade wants to correct mistakes appearing in the newspaper. If you believe we have made a mistake, please call us at 478-445-4511 or 478445-2559 or e-mail us at colonnade@gcsu.edu.
top. Very soon after John McCain selected Palin as his running mate, liberals and bloggers all over the country created a scandal regarding Palin’s four-month-old son, Trig. They claimed Bristol, Palin’s daughter, was Trig’s biological mother. Once these rumors were picked up by the national media, the Palin campaign decided they had to dispel these rumors with the truth. At this point, the campaign disclosed that Bristol couldn’t be Trig’s mother, as she is five months pregnant with her boyfriend’s child. In a statement released by Palin and her husband Todd, they said that they loved their daughter very much, were proud of her and her decisions to have the baby and marry her boyfriend. While many consider this loving and compassionate, it set off a national firestorm as Palin’s detractors started asking what kind of mother would let her 17-year-old daughter get pregnant? This is a stupid question. Anyone who has attended an American high school or college knows that the percentage of young adults participating in premarital sex is extremely high. Very simply, parents can’t control their children every second of every day, and even the best of children fall far short of perfection. Sarah Palin should be praised for her love and commitment to her family as they go
I hate it! 30%
Log onto GCSUnade.com to vote for this week’s poll I don’t really care 10%
September 12, 2008
The Colonnade 7
Opinion
L etters to the E ditor Obama’s election to lose Dear Editor,
I’m writing in response to a recent editorial by Andrew Adams, which claimed – almost guaranteed, actually – that Barack Obama is far too liberal to be elected President of the United States, and that John McCain’s independence and willingness to compromise would whisk him into the White House, no problem. Unfortunately, the study Adams cited as evidence of Obama’s “extreme liberalism” is an extremely flawed one. It’s conducted annually by the National Journal (not the National Review, as Adams stated – a textbook Freudian slip, considering the rabidly conservative nature of the Review) and this year was based on 99 Senate votes, a third of which Obama missed due to campaign demands. (McCain missed over half the votes, disqualifying him from the study.) These absences skew the data; had Obama been present for every vote, he most likely would have crossed party lines more frequently, lowering his score. In fact, he was only the 10th most liberal senator in 2006, and 16th in 2005. In both those years, he participated in a much higher number of votes. The truth is, since winning the Democratic primary Obama has been nudging his views to the center in an effort to broaden his appeal. In July he voted to pass George Bush’s FISA bill, granting immunity to tele-
communications companies who wire-tap. In August, he proposed that America tap into its strategic oil reserves in order to provide relief from high gas prices. At the Democratic Convention, he promised to lower taxes for 95 percent of Americans. These are not typically leftist stances; in fact, the first two were blatant reversals that infuriated Obama’s liberal base. Interestingly enough, McCain has been utilizing the same strategy – a shift to the right – for different reasons. He’s looking to shore up the Republican base, which wasn’t exactly doing back-flips over his nomination. In the past 18 months or so, McCain has reversed his stance on Roe v. Wade (he supported the decision until early last year, now wants it overturned), Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy (opposed until last May; now supports), his own immigration bill (said that if the bill came to a vote, he would vote against it), and offshore drilling (opposed until June of this year; now passionately supports). Consider all those policies, then throw in the fact that McCain – according to a study by the Congressional Quarterly – voted in line with President Bush 95 percent of the time in 2007, and hinting that he might be a “Democrat in disguise” (as Adams did) becomes laughable. (Sidenote: McCain did dissent from the Republican party one-third of the time – back in 2001. In 2007, he voted in line
with his party at an uncompromising 90 percent clip.) Even McCain’s Vice Presidential pick, while risky and unpredictable, was yet another appeal to the right. Were McCain as independently minded as Adams suggests, he would have chosen the running mate he really wanted: good friend and former Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, Joe Lieberman. Talk about a ticket that could woo independents and disillusioned Hillary supporters. Alas, John McCain’s maverick streak seems to have run out just in time to reassure Republicans on the eve of the big election. Andrew Adams is right about one thing: This election is about the political ideology of two men, a fact all too often lost on the electorate, the media and the men themselves. One is a liberal – but far from extreme – and the other is a conservative, now more than ever. It’s still too early to tell whose changes of heart will pay off in November, but to deem an Obama win unimaginable is absolutely ludicrous. Recent polls show either a dead heat or Obama with a slight advantage, and the majority of Americans agree that this country is in desperate need of a change. Consequently, this is – and always has been – Obama’s election to lose. Evan Allgood Graduate Student Creative Writing
A complaint on Bobcat Vision Dear Editor,
Who needs handicapped access to Lanier Hall, or fenced-in parking lots, or emergency stations on campus with functioning lights, or a library staff scheduled 24/7, or a donation to the progress of a battered women’s shelter in Milledgeville, when we can have 19 snazzy-looking LCD screens all over campus? More importantly, was there a public outcry demanding this excess? If SGA represents the student body, then who exactly were they representing when this legislation was passed? Maybe SGA hasn’t noticed, but people walk past those TV screens as if they aren’t there. Who is going to stop in the middle of a congested hallway and look up while tons of announcements scroll past too quickly to memorize or write down, and tons of people are shoving their way past you AND the TVs to get back to their apartments? I’m offended that SGA thinks having something shiny to look at will make people more aware of what’s going on at GCSU. The people who are clueless to the kinds of announcements that will be on Bobcat Vision aren’t clueless because there isn’t an effective mode of communication between RSOs and the student body - they are clueless because they don’t care. And they will continue to be that way regardless of the money spent on advertising materials. For those students who DO care, there is MyCats, the Student All Digest, the
Colonnade, fliers, chalking, Facebook, bulletin boards, table tents in Sodexo, tables on front campus, MySpace, announcements in classes, and most importantly, word-of-mouth. By refusing to create more and more methods of communication for those on campus who can’t seem to figure out what is going on, then we indirectly increase the dependency of the students on the methods that already exist. Once a student realizes that the events they are interested in are only advertised on Facebook, for example, then they will monitor that medium as needed to keep informed. If someone can’t figure out what, where, and when something is going on here at GCSU after going through one or all of the above channels, then there is something wrong with the user, not the program. SGA says that it is attempting to be more “green” by reducing the number of fliers, but let’s be honest here - who is going to stop printing fliers just because they have a 10-second (or less) spread on a TV screen that no one is paying attention to? There are so many more ways to be “green” without spending the kind of money that went into these TVs, like emphasizing the Student All Digest, MyCats, gcsunade.com, chalking, Facebook, and wordof-mouth as valid means of communication. There are already multiple paper-reducing options in place, why do we need more? This seems to be SGA’s main selling point on
these screens, but it doesn’t hold any water. I’m sure if we looked into the amount of electricity used to power these screens (which are not turned off at night, I’ve checked) we would find that they are just as detrimental to our environment as the amount of paper used to print fliers. If anything, SGA only managed to increase the amount of energy and resources this campus consumes by installing these LCD screens. What will SGA do about this issue, I wonder? If SGA really wants this campus to be more “green”, they would sponsor recycling drives, replace the automatic flushing toilets with manual ones, buy recycled paper for use in the library and tech center, sponsor speakers to hold workshops on low-impact living, sponsor PowerRides so students could feel more comfortable riding their bikes on the roads as well as learning proper cycling etiquette and stop driving their cars, and, I repeat, emphasize the use of environmentallyfriendly means of communication already in place on campus. I am incredibly disappointed in the way SGA used students’ funds as far as these screens are concerned. If you want to feel like you’re at a school so rich it can be fiscally frivolous, then Athens is less than an hour up the road. Kim O’Toole Junior Liberal Studies
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Which presidential candidate had a better vice president pick? “McCain because I’m more Republican.” Heather Maddox, junior, psychology
“Obama because Obama.”
Biden
balances
out
Christie Keene, junior, history
“McCain because Palin has better views.” Blake Packard, freshman, undeclared
“McCain because Palin balances family, life and work.” Kate Blackburn, freshman, exercise science
“Obama because Biden has foreign affairs experience to balance out Obama.” Tony Whitten, senior, psychology Reported by Bobby Gentry
I love him, and he will never have any idea. How pathetically junior high is this?
I miss the village market. Anyone with me? I HATE NEW FACEBOOK! I hate death! It always comes at the wrong times! I feel like there is a bubble over my heart and it hurts. I need a hug, but all my friends are in class. There is no one for me to hug. It’s...sad. Do you (ColonnadeVent) ever write back? I wish people would stop cutting me off in traffic. Seriously? Do we really need a “Public Safety Report” about someone’s toilet not working? Come on, surely there are more important things going on! Am I the only one that follows the rules and laws over here in The Village? The sounds of people stomping, doors slamming, and loud music all around me probably wouldn’t be so loud if it weren’t for the nightly smells of various kinds of smoke in my room. Unbelievable. These posts lately have been really uninspired. Is it too much to ask for some vent-age posts? Can Milledgeville finish that bridge? I’m really tired of having to drive all the way around it all the time. If more people would vent... that would be great!
Want to vent about something? Send us a message about what’s bothering you to screen name ColonnadeVent using AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), or by E-mail to colonnadeletters@gcsu.edu, with the subject ‘Vent.’
Features
The Colonnade’s Guide to Art and Entertainment
Friday, September 12, 2008
www.gcsunade.com
Section Editor, S. Ashlee Mooneyhan
Armed Farces hold captive audience
Improv night at Blackbird forces bursts of laughter by Lee Sandow Senior Reporter
The bar fight escalated quickly, and just when things were winding down, the bull rampaged in. That’s exactly how the fight went, at least to hear The Armed Farces Improv troupe tell it. The actual fight was nowhere near as interesting, but in the game of “Moving Pictures”, the truth is whatever the Farces make the picture out to be. One member draws a picture, based on a story someone from the crowd contributes. Then, the other members have to tell the story from the picture. “The main goal is not to be funny,” said senior Ian Custar, president of the Armed Farces, in a training session. “It’s not to tell jokes, but to set a scene.” Funny is as funny does For the Armed Farces, setting the scene starts several hours before the show at Blackbird Coffee ever begins. Those participating in the week’s show perform several different warm-up games to get their creative juices flowing and to ease up their bodies. The Armed Farces held a training session on Sept. 2 for potential new members. Custar spent the first several minutes stressing that the point of improv was not to be funny. “Funny happens,” Custar
said. “Funny comes from the situations, funny happens on it’s own.” Ben Bradberry, a regular performer with the Armed Farces agreed with Custar. “It’s not a big deal to be funny; don’t be an ass trying to be,” Bradberry said.
Setting the scene “The first thing we do is warm up,” Custar said. “Shake it out.” On that cue, everyone standing in the practice circle started shaking each limb one at a time, ten times each, then nine, then eight and so on. “Get to looking goofy, looking retarded in front of each other,” Custar said. Several members of the group stumbled, some made contact with each other as they lost their balance. “We play full contact, so stay on your toes,” Custar said. The troupe practiced several other warm up games. For the rules of these warm up exercises, see the sidebar on the right side of this page, and after the story on page 11. “You need to do these exercises to ‘hang out’ with the games,” Vice President of The Armed Farces Justin Miles said. “Games are just these (warm-ups) with more rules.” Show time By the time the members of The Armed Farces arrived on stage on Thursday night,
the stage in the basement of Blackbird Coffee was overflowing with people. People sat in the seats, on the floor, on the staircase and some sat on the stage itself. On the average night, anywhere from five to eight members perform on the stage, doing improvisation games and earning judge approval similar to the show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” On this particular Thursday, Custar and Miles were performing. They were joined by Ben Bradberry, Drake Simons and John Russell. They performed about a dozen different improv games throughout the hour. Some were done in teams and some were done individually. Some involved all five players, while some only involved one. Junior Erin Williams hosted the show and announced the rules of the game, she also introduced the men on stage. She even endured the taunts they tossed at her throughout the show. “Hosting improv is great because I get to be the mediator between the audience and the players,” Williams said. “I still get to make jokes, but not a lot of pressure is on me. It only gets really stressful when there is a huge audience.” Beyond the basement On Sept. 6, the same five
Improv Page 11
Erin Gish / Senior Photographer President of the Armed Farces, Ian Custar, improvises another hilarious scene with fellow member Ben Bradberry.
Play at home
“Rhyme or Reason”
All players stand in a circle. This game works best with four or more players. The player who goes first says a word. The next player says a word that rhymes with the word before theirs, or says a word related to the word. Example: Red could become bed, or it could become green. Or sunburn. Or dead. Whatever you think of. Focus on speaking quickly and saying the first thing that comes to your mind don’t worry too much about making sense.
Erin Gish / Senior Photographer The Armed Farces perform to a roaring audience packed into the basement of Blackbird Coffee every Thursday at 8 p.m.
Lazer/Wulf howls at the Buff Orchestra strikes a positive note Claire Kersey Staff Reporter
by
Matt Perez / Staff Photographer Metal band, Lazer/Wulf rocks the crowd at Buffington’s last Thursday night.
Claire Dykes Staff Writer
by
Lazer/Wulf, Flagpole Magazine’s Band of the Year, stirred up the downtown Milledgeville scene at Buffington’s last Thursday night. This three-piece thrash metal band, based out of Athens, Ga., brought a different genre of music than what this small town’s bar typically plays. To win Band of the Year in 2008, Lazer/Wulf played at Athfest against groups such as Modern Skirts, Dark Meat and Elf Power. Lead guitarist Bryan Aiken, 23, graduated from University of Georgia with a bachelors of arts in journalism. “We’re like a trampoline ready to explode. Fun for everyone but likely to kill you at any moment,” said Aiken. Michael Christopher, 20-year-old biology major, logged onto their website to hear the band before the show. “This band is really impressive,” Christopher said. “It’s great that a metal band is coming to play in Milledgeville.” The band started instrumental with two members and has added and dropped musicians along their way. One of the members acquired during its rise in Athens was a vocalist who was talented but untrained. The band recently fell back to its instrumental roots due to the polyps that formed on the musician’s vocal cords. The style of music, if not performed correctly, can be dangerous to practice for extended periods of time. Sean Peiffer, bassist, is the only original member of the band left. His inspiration comes from the bands Death and Atheist.
“A lot of people tell us we sound like Between the Buried and Me,” Peiffer said. Mathius, 25, holds the spot as Lazer/ Wulf’s drummer. His favorite bands Meshuggah and Radiohead heavily impact him. He also feels Beethoven influences his beats. “We play funk-metal-jazz-fusion,” Mathius said. Aiken looks to The Mars Volta, Radiohead and Animal Collective to become a better musician. Lazer/Wulf played its first show outside Georgia in August. Pensacola, Fla. allowed them to test new waters with their music. Different locations provide a different type of audience. They have played bars full of old men one week and the next week an audience comprised of mostly teenage girls. While Aiken and Mathius hope at any show that the audience will participate, Peiffer wants the crowd to shed a tear. The name Lazer/Wulf comes from Mathius’s talk with the hardcore metal band Every Time I Die’s guitarist Andy Williams. “I love Every Time I Die, so I just asked Andy what would be a good name for a band. He told me Lazer/Wulf, so we went with it,” Mathius said. Lazer/Wulf’s new album titled “The Voice That Isn’t” is their first full-length release. It is comprised of six songs lasting a total of 32 minutes. The recordings will be available to listen to on Sept. 20 on their Web site. They will also sell CDs at their upcoming concerts. To listen to their music and find out more about the band visit www.myspace. com/lazerwulf.
The GCSU orchestra, in partnership with the Kazanetti String Quartet, put on a Musical Petting Zoo for children in the Putnam County area. Through this program, children were able to see and touch string instruments that would otherwise be out of reach to them. The event took place in the Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton, Ga. Parents and children crowded the lobby and enthusiastically traversed the room, trying out each instrument: the violin, the viola, the cello and the hit of the night, the bass. Through the eyes of a child, nothing is better than an instrument twice his size. Hence, the bass, the largest instrument present, appealed to many visitors. Children had to sit on a tall stool to handle the instrument, which provided opportunities for their parents’ cameras to click away. The bass was demonstrated by sophomore chemistry major Carter Watts. He has played the bass since sixth grade, and this is his first year in the orchestra.
“We are introducing younger people to music,” said Dr. Daniel Kaplunas, director of the GCSU orchestra. They are trying to get a string program started in Putnam County schools. While they have band and chorus, like many schools, they lack an orchestra. This alliance provides opportunities for both GCSU and the Putnam County school system. GCSU students will be able to do their student teaching in the schools and Putnam County students will benefit from a new musical program. “This gives students an opportunity to teach and is a good relationship for everyone,” said Michele Volz, violinist of the Kazanetti String Quartet. As artists in residence at Eatonton’s Plaza Arts Center, the string quartet played shows for over 2000 students in Putnam County in an effort to raise awareness for string instruments. “We want to foster a partnership between Putnam County and GCSU,” said Elizabeth Alvarez, a second violinist in the quartet. “It’s just a win-win situation for everyone.”
Tennyson Mosher / Staff Photographer Children are given the chance to play several musical instruments under the instruction of the GCSU Orchestra Sept. 6 at the Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton.
September 12, 2008
Features
Memories from abroad
understanding of other cultures, awareness of global issues and the way the United States’ foreign and domestic policies impacts operations of other countries,” said Liz Havey, Study Abroad advisor. A typical Maymester or summer program lasts between two and eight weeks. Students can add to their course credits at GCSU while being immersed in an eye-opening experience in a foreign world. “From my own study abroad experience and the Special to The Colonnade testimonies of returned Elyssa Sanner, senior English GCSU students, I know major in Paris, France. that students gain a lot of tangible academic and Apartments have been communication skills that decorated, books have are valued by employers been purchased and classes and graduate school cohave resumed, but as some ordinators,” said Havey. GCSU students take their “Students also gain a first steps toward a new greater understanding of year on campus, they are local cultures and customs, not focused on the massive and the ability to look at amounts of homework that problems and situations loom ahead. Instead, they from multiple perspectives remember conversing in so that they can come up Spanish to a taxi driver on with broader and more apa busy day in Chile, play- plicable solutions.” ing in the snow in May in Students have the opSweden or walking along portunity to find the perthe streets of the city of fect program to suit their lights while eating crepes needs. If a student is lookwith their friends. What- ing to take specific courses ever their memory, these while abroad, or just lookstudents have recently re- ing for a little travel, the turned from adventures staff of the International that will not soon be for- Education Center is more gotten. than willing to help find Over the past Mayme- the perfect program. ster and summer sessions, “I picked Paris because 286 GCSU students par- of the classes offered,” said ticipated in study abroad Elyssa Sanner, senior Engprograms, traveling to lish major. “As a senior, I exotic locations includ- don’t have many credits ing Ghana, Russia, Chile, to give away, so I picked a Sweden, France and Italy. program that could fill two “It’s important for stu- required classes.” dents to study abroad, beThough Sanner chose a cause they gain a greater location based on its abiliAshley Pugh Staff Writer
by
ty to satisfy course credits, it still proved to be more than she bargained for. “It might sound cliché, but I gained a greater understanding of the world,” said Sanner. “I feel like I’m focused on myself so much, between class work, extracurricular activities, and building a resumé, that I forget about the world outside my door.” For each student, the experience is different. Many gain the academic knowledge that is expected from such a trip; many others connect with a world they have never known. “I learned that everyone on this planet is connected, some way or somehow,” said Jennifer Irish, senior Spanish and business management major. “Deep down, we are very similar.” Whether through semester or yearlong exchanges, or through a Maymester or summer sessions, a wide range of study abroad programs are offered to GCSU students. Information sessions are held every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. and every Friday at 4 p.m. in the International Education Center located in Lanier Hall. Start your search early and sit down with a staff member of the International Education Center to go over all your options when choosing a location. “Go somewhere that speaks to not only your mind, but also your heart,” said Irish. “Be flexible, open-minded and openhearted because you never know what’s going to happen while you’re abroad.”
The Colonnade 10
Modern Skirts album review online at www.gcsunade.com
Ana Maria Lugo / Senior Reporter The Modern Skirts performed at Amici on Thursday, Sept. 4 for a packed out crowd.
The truth of the sacred benches Aubrey Petkas Staff Reporter
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It is a little-known fact that sitting on the benches outside Lanier Hall is a sign of disrespect. If you have never worn the Greek letters of one of The Divine Nine, doing so is just that. The painted benches lining the walkway between Parks and Atkinson Hall are seen by the majority of the student population daily. Their presence on campus is unmistakable, but what they symbolize is a mystery to many. “Most students who sit here aren’t trying to be disrespectful,” senior Micky Mack said. “They just don’t know.” There are nine historically black Greek letter organizations that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Collectively, these organizations are referred to as The Divine Nine. The organizations included are: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity. Reese Fitzpatrick Cohn, assistant director for stu-
dent involvement, describes the benches. “[The benches] are a representation of The Divine Nine and the National PanHellenic Council (NPHC) on campus,” said Fitzpatrick Cohn. Controversy over the benches is not overrated. Sitting on one of the benches without being a member of that organization would be similar to wearing the letters of a Greek organization without being a member. “It is disrespectful for their letters,” Cohn said. There are six organizations that have benches on campus. They were given to the groups in the 1990s. The benches are known as plots. A plot is a designated area on campus where a sorority or fraternity decorates with their letters and colors. It serves as a gathering place for members. Plots are more often seen as historically black and the central component is usually a large stone, tree, sculpture or bench. The historically white Greek organizations have houses surrounding campus as their place to gather. “The NPHC is trying to find a place for a memorial garden area dedicated to them,” Cohn said. Diversity Program Coo-
dinator Nadirah Ross believes the movement towards finding a new way to be represented on campus is not meant to be discriminatory. The NPHC recognizes that people do not know about the symbolism surrounding the benches, but merely would like to have something that is theirs and theirs alone. The Monuments and Memorial Committee is in charge of placing monuments and memorial areas on the GCSU campus. Finding the proper place for the NPHC’s new plot is soon to be underway. “We are in the process of talking to various committees on how to be better represented on campus,” said the NPHC President Brandon Kennon. Perhaps there will soon be a new addition to the GCSU campus, that The Divine Nine can call their own. The National Pan-Hellenic Council meets in the Student Activity Center every couple of weeks on Thursday at 5 p.m. The council’s purpose is to promote unity and expose members to the service philosophy and to foster leadership, development and scholarship.
September 12, 2008 Improv Continued from Page 9... members of The Armed Farces that acted at Improv Night traveled to Atlanta to compete in an improv showdown with the members of the JaCKPie Improv Theatre. “We completely hosed them,” Custar said. “They are a school that teaches improv and we are still the funniest.” In the competition, they competed in a long-form dramatic scene, which was different from the normal activities on Thursday nights It was a single scene that ran for 15 minutes. The entire scene was improvised. In the act, Bradberry and Miles acted as their recurring characters Herman Winkleton and Tony the Deuce, who sell products on infomercials. Simons and Russell worked in background roles and Custar served as narrator. The group is currently organizing an invitational for spring 2009 that plans to
invite individuals from the community to compete in a local improv competition. Custar said the group plans to invite the Milledgeville players, students from Baldwin High School and Georgia Military College, as well as anyone else who is interested to compete. Anyone can do it The Armed Farces are currently entering their fourth year of operation and are applying for RSO status for the next school year. Students interested in joining can find The Armed Farces on Facebook and are encouraged to join the group. The group also has a YouTube account where they post videos of some of their performances. Find them on YouTube at www. youtube.com/armedfarcesimprov. Custar offered advice for anyone who wants to work on their own improv work. “Find somebody who thinks you’re funny,” Custar said. “Bounce ideas off them. Surround yourself with people you find funny.”
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SPECIAL TO THE COLONNADE Michael Murphy’s 15 foot by 8 foot rendering of Moses Collins, to the right, made from bamboo and steel wire, above. On the top left is a close up photo of the bamboo used to make the piece.
Through the artist’s eyes: Michael Murphy
My portrait of Moses Collins, a gentleman who works at the recycling center near my home in Milledgeville, has been the inspiration of this piece of work. It is a 15 foot by 8 foot nontraditional rendering of a photographic image. It is constructed entirely of bamboo and steel wire, with the negative space provided by the black wall behind the piece. It took about two weeks to cut the golden bamboo out of Professor Katie Aiello’s backyard and another week to husk and clean the canes. The entire piece took close to two and a half months to construct. The process involved the use of digital cameras, projectors and various other technological gadgets. It is a hand rendering of a digital image. The purpose of this piece is to celebrate and memorialize Moses. It is my way of telling him and others that he is important and special. I met Moses while I was recycling my trash and knew immediately that he was the person that I wanted to honor. This piece of art will be on view at the Merge Visual Exhibition being held at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Macon, Georgia. The show is hosted by Craig Coleman and will also feature the work of GCSU faculty Ernesto and Emily Gomez. The opening reception for the show will be held Friday, Sept. 12 beginning at 7 p.m. The show is free and open to the public. The focus of the exhibition is on the ways in which technology has impacted how artists work. -Michael Murphy, GCSU Art and Technology
‘Righteous Kill’ just short Grade: B+
“De Niro & Pacino are a righteous duo in a shaky scenario” Chris Moskaly Movie Reviewer
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Hollywood icons Robert De Niro and Al Pacino had vast chemistry together in Michael Mann’s classic heist thriller ‘Heat.’ And what made that chemistry so amazing was how they both leveled their talents to such greatness from opposing sides of the altercation. Now, in ‘Righteous Kill,’ their third collaboration (their first being ‘Godfather Pt. II’), the two stars bring that same level of intrigue to the fullest once again, only this time, they’re shooting in the same direction. Unfortunately however, they are the only pieces of this puzzle that actually fit together, bringing this “righteous” project just one step short of excellence. Maybe they should’ve stayed on opposite sides, or maybe they’re just too good for the rest of the cast. At least they get to beat the hell out of several of their co-stars before the final act. Following a recent controversial murder in New York City, veteran cops Turk (De Niro) and Rooster (Pacino) must put their skills together as they try to find a serial killer in a case that could possibly have a connection to a previous murder in which they may have put the wrong suspect behind bars. As the chips begin to fall, and the truth slowly starts to unfold, these two devoted officers must come to terms with their own justice as they realize that they can’t trust anyone... not even their own. Some clichés are notable, and certain “shots” may look familiar, but anyone favoring the leads shouldn’t have any trouble looking past the obvious in this satisfying crime thriller that couldn’t have come at a calmer hour before the Oscar storm. In pure masterful form, Robert De Niro plays Turk (I guess his pale skin reminds them of turkey) who for lack of a better term, is the brains of the duo. He has quick draws and excellent accuracy with his hands, but it’s his cocky policeman one liners that sell him to viewers in a heartbeat. He can maintain his posture behind a desk, but behind a gun, he gives a whole new definition to “bad cop.” Especially when the cheapest
The Colonnade 11
By Chelsea Thomas
“Five second - ten second” This game involves two or more players. The first player will mime a motion for five seconds. They cannot speak. After those five seconds are over, the next player enters. They can both speak at this point, but the new entrant must speak first. This lasts for ten seconds. The new entrant has to guess what the other one was doing, but cannot ask it as a question. They can guess wrong for comedic effect. If playing with more than two players, the second person to enter will begin at step two.
gangsters in town (50 Cent) try to play him like a fool... big mistake! Because Turk isn’t the type of cop who will ask 21 questions... at least not nicely. The rookies (Donnie Wahlberg & John Leguizamo) can whine all day about how they hate being called pigs when all they wanted was to serve and protect, but those, like Turk, who have experience know a whole lot better: “You don’t become a cop so that you can serve and protect; you do it because you get respect. Most people respect the badge, but EVERYBODY respects the gun.” De Niro might’ve had better times in the mob with Martin Scorsese, but even as a cop, this man still has a tough attitude we can’t help but admire. My ‘Scarface’ loyalty can easily speak for itself, but Al Pacino was the real “eye-popper” of this one for me. Not only does he have the more intimidating name, but his troubled personality is easier to relate to. He has a hot temper, and a trigger-happy finger, but his pure devotion to the job makes up for any overused traits Joe Pesci made famous during the 90s. Rooster is the type of person who was born to be a cop, and couldn’t think of a better way to go down than on the job itself, much like De Niro and Pacino are with acting. Maybe that’s why these two just keep going and going, but nonetheless, they don’t need badges or guns to get respect from us. They have heart, and that is a strength which nothing could ever surmount. Two top-notch talents on top of a quick 100-minute reel do make ‘Righteous Kill’ worth anyone’s time and money, but I won’t lie, the film does suffer from some of the obvious cop movie clichés, and if you’re expecting a total package of awesomeness like ‘Heat’ to repeat itself, then you’ve picked the wrong show. I enjoyed it completely for what it was, and it does serve its purpose of entertainment in the dry box office period, but if you’ve seen anything like it before, then you just might’ve seen a better one already. Their efforts to carry such a shaky scenario are truly unique (and only these two could’ve done it right), but as long as there is a ‘Goodfellas’ and a ‘Scarface,’ De Niro and Pacino will always have bigger paychecks to cash, and better days to remember.
Sports
The Colonnade’s Guide to Athletics and Recreation
Friday, September 12, 2008
www.gcsunade.com
Section Editor, Preston Sellers
Soccer on point in weekend sweep Elise Colcord Staff Writer
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Ross Couch / Staff Photographer Sophomore defender/midfielder Ally Treat goes for the ball off the head of a Limestone player. Treat was named the All-Peach Belt Conference defender of the week for her play in the Friday and Sunday wins. It was her first such selection as a Bobcat. Treat and the rest of the GCSU defense have allowed just one goal in the three games this season.
Following the tie in their home opener, Bobcat soccer is back on track after two wins this past weekend. The team notched its first win of the season, a 2-1 back-and-forth affair, Friday at Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn., then returned to Milledgeville to beat Limestone College 1-0 on Sunday. In Tennessee, GCSU took an early lead when junior forward Lyric Burnett put a shot swiftly past the Pioneers’ goalie off an assist by junior midfielder Jamie Nevin. The Pioneers recovered in the second half when Kelly Barron pounded one to the back of the net, but another tie was not in the cards for the Bobcats. Senior midfielder Mary Byrne knocked a shot past the keeper from 15 yards out just minutes after the Pioneer goal. The Bobcat defense held strong for the remainder of the game, earning them the 2-1 win. Head Coach Juan Favero was encouraged by the team’s resolve. “I was very pleased with our overall effort and attitude against an upper nationally ranked team,” Favero said. “The girls came out strong and ready to play.” On Sunday, despite the blistering afternoon heat, both teams charged the field looking for a victory. From the beginning, the Bobcats dominated possession in the attacking third, giving the Saints’ defense a constant challenge with 12 shots on goal. Quick, short passes moved the Bobcats up the field like a well-oiled machine toward the Saints’ goal and in the thirtyfourth minute, a pass off a dead ball from junior midfielder Kara Teresi hit senior
forward Hayley Ferrell, who slipped an arching shot past the keeper into the top left corner of the net. Both teams responded well to the heat, with the Bobcats again showcasing their stamina. GCSU had plenty of opportunities to capitalize in the form of corner kicks, but just could not get a foot on the ball. A Saints breakaway midway through the second half stirred up frantic pressure in the Bobcat defense as the Limestone forwards attempted to weave the defense in a knot. As skilled as the forwards were, it was to no avail. The back line of the Bobcats held strong, shutting down the Saints’ attackers. Favero praised his team’s desire, determination and attitude, but noted that finishing scoring chances has been a trouble spot this season. “It is always a dangerous position to be in, a let-down after a big win like Friday,” he said. “I am very proud of the girls for coming out ready and focused after playing less than 48 hours ago - especially with the day being so hot.” Junior defender Erika Kolodin thought the Bobcats had a solid couple of games and proved that they are a team for opponents to worry about. “We played well the whole weekend and definitely showed the conference and region that we are a big threat,” Kolodin said. “I am proud of us and we will be ready for Thursday.” GCSU now sits at 2-0-1 on the season, and has only allowed one goal in their three games. The Bobcats look to keep their winning streak alive with a home game this Thursday at 7 p.m. against the University of Montevallo Falcons.
Cross country earns twin third-place finishes at home Maggie Jensen Staff Writer
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Running on a brand new course at West Campus, the GCSU cross country teams hosted their first ever home meet on Saturday, Sept. 6. The ladies started things off at 8:30 a.m. on their 3.1-mile loop, which circled around West Campus’s intramural fields and baseball field. The portion behind the intramural fields was hilly and strenuous, and added a challenge for the runners. Shortly before the race, sophomore Jessica Forbes had mixed emotions. “It’s my first race this season and I can’t wait. I am really nervous and excited,” she said. “We haven’t raced against any of these teams this season, so it’s going to be an indicator of how we are going to place in conference.” The men ran a modified course which totaled 4.96 miles, beginning at 9:15 a.m. The race was a pre-conference showdown against several region schools, including conference foes Augusta State University, Columbus State University, North Georgia College & State University, Francis Marion University, Clayton State University, the University of South Carolina at Aiken and Georgia Southwestern State University. Both Bobcat squads placed third in the Peach Belt Conference last season and aim for similar success this year. “We are seeded third this year, and aim to finish in the top three again,” sophomore Alex Taylor said. Strong performances from freshmen and the consistency of experienced runners pace the Lady Bobcats this season. On Saturday, freshman Karissa Ekstrom was the top finisher on the team, winding up tenth in 20:07, tying for the sixth-best time in school history. Just three slots behind in thirteenth
THE SHORT STOP
was junior Heather Raines with a time of 20:24, and the third finisher for GCSU was freshman Sarah Balkcom, who ran a 20:51 to come in twentyfirst. The all-PBC duo of junior Bonnie Ueltzen and sophomore Dani Destiche finished in twenty-third and twentyfourth, respectively. As a team, the Lady Bobcats placed third overall with 91 points, behind only Columbus and Augusta. The story is the same for the men’s team, with two freshmen pacing the Bobcats and veterans right behind. The top four runners each set personal records on the eight-kilometer course on Saturday. Rookie Colin Conroy looks to be a force already for GCSU, as he was the top Bobcat finisher again this week, running a 27:49 for fourteenth place. Fellow freshman Rob Manning followed closely behind in fifteenth, only seven seconds later. Sophomore Erik Ottoson placed seventeenth, running a 28:05, and the fourth runner for the Bobcats was another freshman, Travis Knight, who completed the course in 28:30 to finish twenty-first. Returning all-PBC junior Josh Hollar finished right behind Knight in twenty-second, and gave his thoughts on running his own race. “I get anxious at the starting line with anticipation,” he said, “but I always try to run a strong race by pacing myself really well.” The men also placed third overall with 89 points, behind Columbus and Clayton. Columbus has the top-ranked men’s and women’s teams in the region, and they shone on Saturday. The next race for the Bobcats is the pre-region meet on Saturday, Sept. 13 in Wingate, N.C. The only other home meet this season for the Peach Belt championships, is to be held Oct. 25.
File Photo Sophomore Joe Young prepares to crush another iron shot. Young established himself as a force last season, his freshman year at GCSU, and looks to continue his success in 2008-2009.
‘Cats take third at Kiawah, Young shines Kyle Collins Senior Reporter by
The GCSU golf team got their fall season rolling Sept. 8-9 with a third place finish at the Kiawah Invitational. The host school, the University of South Carolina at Aiken, won the event held on Cougar Point Golf Club in Kiawah Island, S.C. The Bobcats finished the 36-hole event nine-under-par, placing them eight shots behind Peach Belt foe USC Ai-
ken and two shots away from second place Coker College. Coker’s Chris Marsh and Aiken’s J.P. Solis tied regulation play at 11-under before Marsh prevailed in a twohole playoff. Returning All-PBC sophomore Joe Young led the way for GCSU with rounds of 66 and 70. Young’s eight-underpar total put him in third place, which was just three
Golf
Page 13
Upcoming Sports
Quote of the Week
Soccer:
“I’ve said all along, even when he was a teammate with us, once he figures out how to win a race he’s not going to stop. . . I feel the same for a championship” – Jimmie Johnson regarding Kyle Busch, the favorite to win NASCAR’s Sprint Cup
Sept. 14
4:30 p.m.
Tennis (Men): Sept. 12-14
all day
@ UAH Milledgeville
The
Side
Line
by
Preston Sellers Sports Editor
We get it, Lance Armstrong. We know you’re the greatest cyclist of all time. We know you battled cancer and won, and came back to win seven consecutive Tours de France. We have watched you bring cancer to the forefront of America’s psyche, and create an unfortunate trend of rubber bracelets along with it. We cheered for each win, and supported you through a doping scandal. Then you retired, supposedly for good. There was marriage and divorce drama with a certain singer, and we tossed you to the Hollywood crowd. So it was; you would fade in time and we would remember you as a superhero among mortals. So what’s this, Lance? A comeback? Really? Dude, you have nothing left to prove. Like Michael Jordan before you and now Brett Favre, even the greatest should accept when the time is right to step away from his passion. It is a joy as a sports fan to watch the greats perform at their highest level. Conversely, it is painful to see Michael Jordan hobble around on 40-year-old legs and brick shots he would have drained ten years earlier. The same goes for you, Lance. You don’t realize that you will make a carnival show out of the world’s greatest bicycle race? Let the younger, talented riders have their moments to shine. Biking for cancer awareness is a noble cause, sure. So find your local philanthropy and bike all you want. Just please don’t compete in the Tour de France ever again. You will only end up like Mike, and not the one we all wanted to be. Now don’t misinterpret this as Lance-bashing, because I was and somewhat still am a Lance Armstrong fan. I just get irritated with athletes who think they are bigger than the sport, even though in this case you are probably right. Cycling without Lance Armstrong is like pop without Michael Jackson. But guess what? Pop music moved on, evolved into something else. So too, should go the saga of Lance Armstrong. Leave the sport alone, Lance. You’ve done more than enough.
Stat of the Week
1 Goals allowed in three games this season by the Bobcat soccer team.
September 12, 2008 Golf Continued from Page 12... shots out of the individual playoff. “I felt like it was a good start for me, but I definitely want an individual title this year,” Young said. Also turning in good performances were the international crew, led by Sweden’s Niclas Johansson and Argentina’s Francisco Bide. Both finished the week in tenth place at twounder-par. The juniors shot rounds of 72 and 70 and flip-flopped scores the first and second days. Johansson said the hot and calm weather was ideal for scoring as the competitors dodged potential hurricane trouble on the coast. “I could have played better myself because I was a little rusty,” Johansson said. “This week was a good start to get into tournament mode.” Adding to the Bobcats’ foreign flavor, Brazil’s Pedro Lima finished his first college event at three-over-par after carding 71-76. Lima, a junior transfer, was a late addition to the roster this fall. “(Lima) is getting along great with us,” Head Coach Jimmy Wilson said. “ He’s just grateful for the chance to play.” Rounding out the Bobcat five, sophomore Billy Shida struggled to
find his rhythm, shooting 76-79 in the opener. Shida looks to rediscover the late season birdies he showed in last year’s NCAA regional and national tournaments. The third-place team finish was the best ever for the Bobcats at this event. They more than slightly improved on the twelfth-place finish from the fall 2007 tournament. “It showed us the work we need to put in to win and how we stack up in the conference,” Young said. Wilson felt there were a few firsttournament jitters that the team shook off at Kiawah. “I think Francisco turned a corner in the way he bounced back from a few double bogeys early in the second round,” Wilson said. The golfers get little rest as they head to Florence, S.C. for their second of four fall events hosted by Francis Marion University on Sept. 15-16. Red shirt sophomore Matthew Yonz will compete as an individual next week as he tries to earn a spot on the traveling team. “I have all the confidence in the world in Matt,” Wilson said. “ He just needs a chance to shine.” GCSU is one of few Division II schools competing at the Raines Development Group Intercollegiate tournament. The tournament allows the Bobcats to see where they stack up against top-level competition at The Country Club of South Carolina.
Athlete of the week: Jamie Nevin Preston Sellers Senior Reporter
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Nevin
The GCSU Athletic Department has named Jamie Nevin, an All-PBC midfielder for the soccer team, its athlete of the week for the week ending Sept. 7. She became the Bobcats’ all-time assist leader on Friday against Tusculum. With assists on both goals in that game, she pushed her total as a Bobcat to 13. Nevin is the type of player every soccer team should have to be successful. A silent assassin, she controls the buildup of attacks and finds the open teammate with the best scoring chance, time and time again.
Sports
The Colonnade 13
Intramurals: Follow the money by
Mitchell Davis Staff Writer
GCSU students participating in intramurals this year will find a new twist in the midst of organizing teams, practice and games. Every team will be required to pay a $30 fee to participate. This charge comes in an effort to bridge the gap between the ever-increasing number of teams and the intramural budget. Last year, the budget was $45,000. This didn’t stop the GCSU intramural program from spending almost $70,000. Funds were used for new equipment, sending teams to state tournaments and paying officials, scorekeepers and supervisors. Bert Rosenberger is the coordinator of intramural and recreational sports at GCSU. He is working with the budget to see what the school can and cannot afford. “Our budget is going up a little bit each year and our participation is going up more than the budget is,” Rosenberger said. “And basically, the way our budget works, if we have 50 teams we get the same amount as if we have 100 teams. As long as our numbers continue to grow, and our budget doesn’t grow at the same rate, there’s going to be a deficit there.” This year, the budget has been increased to $60,000. The remaining deficit of $10,000 is expected to be collected through revenues and entry fees to available sports throughout the year. At Rosenberger’s request, the Student Government Association and the Administration for Student Affairs approved a policy requiring payment for participation in intramurals. Teams can anticipate incurring a cost of about $3 a person. “Last year, we went over our budget and the way the current university system works, it was OK to pull a little bit of money from here or there,” Rosenberger said. “But this year the whole university system across the state of Georgia, not just Georgia College has a 6 percent budget cut.” Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Bruce Harshbarger, shed light on where last year’s extra financial aid to the intramural department originated. “There’s a reserve fund that comes from two sources really; money that’s left over at the end of this year on July 1, any untapped student activities fees will roll under reserves,” he said. “Also, the student activities budget committee tries to leave usually about $60,000 or $70,000 unallocated as a reserve. They do that because they’re budgeting based on what their guess is for fall enrollment and they could guess low.”
Tennis opens fall slate this weekend Record-setter Siquiera begins senior campaign Preston Sellers Senior Reporter
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The GCSU men’s tennis team begins its fall tournament schedule this Friday, Sept. 12 at home. The Bobcats will host the Georgia College Men’s Fall Collegiate Championships through the weekend and concludes play on Sunday, Sept. 14. Friday also marks the beginning of an end for GCSU tennis, with the last season of eligibility for senior Erick Siquiera (Sao Paolo, Brazil). Siquiera is already regarded as one of the best in Bobcat history, and his final season will be something special.
File Photo Senior Erick Siquiera prepares to smash a serve. He has dominated opponents throughout his career at GCSU.
Rosenberger
Harshbarger also mentioned that going over budget in intramurals was acceptable because of the boom in student participation. However, warnings to the intramural department about another year in the red have already filtered through the ranks. Sending teams to state tournaments, championship T-shirts and officials would be the first amenities to be lost. Rosenberger has already had part of his travel expenses cut in an effort to save money. Josh Smith, a junior history major and threeyear intramural participant, is concerned about the recent changes. “I thought we had recreational dues or something that we paid through tuition so we could just pay through that,” he said. “I’m not too happy about it, but I’m still going to play and everything.” GCSU does not charge as much for intramural participation as the University of Georgia, which requires students to pay $85 per team. UGA’s higher charge also comes with a guarantee of only three games while GCSU intramural teams are scheduled for five games plus playoffs. Rosenberger put the money issue into perspective while considering his tighter budget. “This year, it’s pretty much if we go over budget, then all of a sudden for softball season you play two games because there’s just no money there.”
September 12, 2008
Community News
The Colonnade 15 Read the road signs freshmen On September 3, 2008 at approximately 7:06 p.m. Sgt. Pissott issued a warning to a freshman student for Driving Wrong Way on a One Way Street at the intersection of McIntosh and Clarke Streets.
Friday, Sept. 12Thursday, Sept. 18
Lost or Stolen? On Sept. 4, at approximately 9:56 p.m. a female student reported that she lost her wallet on Sept. 3, near the Golden Pantry. Her Wachovia Bank advised that someone tried to withdraw $800 from her account, but was unsuccessful. The attempt of fraud was done at the Suntrust Bank in Milledgeville. The case has been turned over to Detective Butler for investigation.
Friday, September 12 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 8:30 p.m.
Men’s Tennis Fall Championship, Centennial Center “Deliver Us Not! (Or, Birth, Where is Thy Sting?),” Max Noah Recital Hall
Saturday, September 13 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 8:30 p.m.
Men’s Tennis Fall Championship, Centennial Center “Deliver Us Not! (Or, Birth, Where is Thy Sting?), Max Noah Recital Hall
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 4:30 p.m.
Men’s tennis Fall Championship, Centennial Center Soccer v. Alabama-Hunstville, Huntsville, AL
Sunday, September 14
Monday, September 15 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m.
University Convocation, Russell Auditorium “The Good Body: A Body Image Discussion Group” Women’s Resource Center, 143 Maxwell Student Union Harry C. Boyte: Making a Difference as a Citizen, A&S Auditorium Courtenay Budd and Marcelina Turcanu, Max Noah Recital Hall
A Thief of a Roommate On Sept. 4, at approximately 8:15 p.m. a female student reported that she was missing many of her clothing items from her room. Upon looking in her roommate’s room, she discovered the missing items. The items were in her closet, a suitcase and about the room. The case has been turned over to Detective Butler.
A harassing check On Sept. 4, at approximately 12:29 a.m. a female student reported to Public Safety that she was receiving harassing phone calls from another student. The calls were in reference to a check being cashed by her for the GCSU dance team. The case has been turned over to Detective Butler for further investigation.
Three years short of legal On September 4, 2008 at approximately 1:44 a.m. Sgt. Pissott was dispatched to MSU in reference to a male vomiting in the grass. Contact was made with the student, who was passed out. Sgt. Pissott was able to wake up the student after a few attempts, but he was extremely intoxicated and unable to stand on his own. A check of his ID showed that he was 18 years of age. When tested on the Alco-Sensor, he registered .172. The male student was arrested and transported to Milledgeville PD and charged with Underage Possession of Alcohol. Information compiled by Alanna Llewellyn Please go online to gcsunade.com to download the extended Public Safety Report podcast.
Tuesday, September 16
Wednesday, September 17 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
What can I Do With a Major in Management Information Systems? 107 Atkinson Hall Times Talk, Beeson Hall, Lower Level Conference Room
Thursday, September 18
Please send calendar submissions to colonnadenews@gcsu.edu
Problems with snack or drink? Laundry or cable on the blink? Call 445-FIX IT Always striving to continually improve services to our campus, the department of Auxiliary Services has implemented a new customer service hotline. If you experience any problems with snack and beverage vending machines, with laundry machines, or with cable TV reception, just call 445-FIX IT (445-3494). Whether a machine took your money and didn’t vend the product you wanted or the machine simply needs to be replenished, we want to know about it. If your residence hall washer isn’t working properly, or channel 51 is on the fritz, we want to know about it. Vending refunds are available, and we want to fix all problems as quickly as possible. Of course, we can’t fix what we don’t know is broken, so we ask for your help in reporting any and all problems. Future High School Educators Club Have you ever considered teaching high school? It is a wonderful way to share your passion and make a difference in the lives of others. If you are thinking about a career in secondary education, you may want to join the Future High School Educators Club (FHSE). The club is a great opportunity to meet others with the same interests, connect with students who are currently working on their teaching certificates and find ways to start building your resume.
‘Paintings’ Exhibit Blackbridge Hall Art Gallery and the GCSU Museum present the Frances de La Rosa’s exhibition: ‘Paintings.’ The exhibition co-sponsored by Arts Unlimited will be displayed Aug. 18 through Sept. 12 at Blackridge Hall Art Gallery and Aug. 18 through Oct. 2 at GCSU Museum. The opening reception will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28 at GCSU Museum and at 5 p.m. at Blackbridge Hall Art Gallery. The artist talk will be held at 6 p.m. at Blackbridge Hall. Courtney S. Mims, GCSU senior Museum Studies art major and curator of the exhibition, worked with Frances de La Rosa, Professor of Painting at Wesleyan College in Macon, to develop an exhibition that showcases de La Rosa’s abstract landscape paintings. Frances de La Rosa’s compositions are rendered with numerous layers of brush strokes that shift from recognizable scenery to non-representational textures, patterns, shapes, and lines that alludes to nature. Nature provides the artist with endless themes for artistic expressions. As a result she has selected and simplified while working with a subject matter full of vast resources. The theme focuses on the creative energy found in visualization and the power of nature. Displaying diverse patterns, imagery, and stories, the subject matter comes from the stimulations of life, anything that she has seen in the real world and the inner world of her imagination. For more information contact gallery director Carlos M. Herrera at 478-445-7025.
The Coming national elections and SGA’s push for voter registration, The American Democracy Project, various other campus political action groups and the Student Government Association are in the thick of a campaign to register voters and request absentee ballots for those students that will be out of precinct on Election Day. At these tables, you will have the option to submit your application to register to vote or request an absentee ballot. People will be on hand to help you out if you get stuck. Remember, in order to vote this November, you have to be registered. All you have to do it meet a few basic requirements: •Be a citizen of the United States •Be a legal resident of Georgia and of the county in which you want to vote •Be 18 years old within six months after the day of registration and be 18 years old by election day •Not be serving a sentence for having been convicted of a felony •Not have been judicially determined to be mentally incompetent, unless the dis-
ability has been removed The registration deadline is approaching fast, just under a month away! Generally, the cutoff is the fifth Monday before any primary or election. This year, the last day to register to vote in the 2008 Presidential elections is Monday, Oct. 6, 2008. But what happens if you just ignore all of these tables and opportunities to register or get to the polls and find out that you’re not registered? Don’t worry! If for some reason when you get the polls a poll worker tells you your name is not on the voter lists, you can still vote with a provisional ballot. As a simple rule of thumb, if you get to the polls, don’t leave without voting. If you do cast a provisional ballot instead of a normal one, you’ll probably need to follow up with the election authorities to prove that you are qualified to vote. Ask the poll-worker for instructions on how you can do so or contact your Secretary of State’s office. Now that you’re registered, when can you vote? You can vote by absentee ballot by mail, absentee bal-
lot in person at your county registrar’s office, or during advance voting week. Voting one of these ways before the big day will prevent a long wait and long lines. You can request a ballot now and the absentee voting process will begin on Sept. 22, 2008. On this day, requested absentee ballots will be mailed and voters can vote absentee in-person at their county registrar’s office. If you are registered here in Baldwin County, or are going home to vote, the polls will be open on Nov. 4, 2008 from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. However, any voter who is waiting in line at 7:00 p.m. will be allowed to vote. But remember, some states require some form of ID when voting. Georgia is one of the three states that require a photo ID when you vote. Make sure you’re prepared before you head to the polls. You have a choice this election, and the only way that you can voice that choice is by voting. Register to vote today and do your civic duty!